Executive Dialogue

The global energy landscape is currently defined by a challenging paradox: the urgent need to power the world’s increasing energy needs while simultaneously providing basic energy access to the most impoverished populations. Countries around the world are facing the dual necessity of maintaining energy security while evolving the infrastructure required for a high-tech future central to many economies. Central to these challenges are geopolitical and economic shifts such as the shale revolution that transformed the United States into a leading energy producer, fundamentally altering global trade dynamics and market stability.

Speaker:
Kyle Haustveit, 16th Assistant Secretary, U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Hydrocarbons and Geothermal Energy Office

The global energy market is entering a period where perceived supply comfort increasingly conflicts with underlying structural risk. Events in 2026 exposed how quickly market balance can unravel—not due to a lack of resources, but because of geopolitical disruption, physical bottlenecks, and long investment lead times. At the same time, industry faces a longer‑term challenge that extends well beyond the current cycle: managing natural decline in a world still dependent on substantial volumes of oil and gas through mid‑century. This session examines why today’s investment decisions are less about growth and more about stability, how offshore has emerged as a critical anchor of future supply, and what strategic choices will determine whether the global system remains resilient or becomes increasingly constrained in the decades ahead.

Speaker: 
Rob Cordray, Partner and Managing Director, Americas, Rystad Energy

The “Demand Decade” refers to the projected 2026–2035 period in which global energy demand is expected to grow at an unprecedented pace, driven by AI growth, data center expansion, cloud computing, electrification, and industrial development across the Global South. Forecasts indicate that electricity demand from data centers could double by 2030, with AI related energy use increasing severalfold over the same period. This surge underscores the need for an all of the above energy strategy, where oil, gas, and other sources play complementary roles in ensuring global economic growth, security, and reliability.

Speaker: 
John Ardill, Vice President, Exploration & New Ventures, ExxonMobil

With U.S. sanctions easing and the Trump administration signaling strong support for American operator re-engagement, the question facing U.S. energy companies is no longer whether Venezuela opens, but whether the terms, timeline, and risk profile justify a commitment of capital at scale. Gulf Coast refiners are ramping up Venezuelan heavy crude intake, and independent operators are assessing what re-entry or new entry could look like.

Speakers:
Maria Angela Capello, President, Red Tree Consulting LLC 
Ted Borrego, Energy Law Professor, University of Houston Law Center

This Executive Dialogue session featured a forward-looking and candid conversation led by the Acting Directors of the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) and the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM). Together, they explored the impactful steps taken over the past year to strengthen U.S. energy dominance, highlighting regulatory streamlining, offshore safety enhancements, and expanded access to American energy and mineral resources. The session charted the course ahead, offered insights into upcoming policy priorities, technological integration, and collaborative strategies designed to ensure continued energy leadership.

Speakers:
Megan Carr, Associate Director of the Strategic Resources Program, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM)
Bryan Domangue, Gulf of America OCS Region Director, Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE)
Matt Giacona, Acting Director, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM)
Kenneth Stevens, Acting Director (Principal Deputy Director), Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE)

Attendees joined a candid fireside chat with leading venture capital executives from private and corporate funds as they discuss how investment decisions are made in offshore energy.

The conversation explored where breakthrough innovation begins, how risk is evaluated in a capital-intensive industry, and what investors expect from founders and operators. Panelists also shared insights on technology pilots, adoption timelines, and offered a lighthearted take on venture capital culture.

Speakers:
Kemal Anbarci, GM Venture Capital Managing Venture Executive, Chevron Technology Ventures
George Coyle, Managing Partner, Energy Innovation Capital

The Shenandoah development in the deepwater Gulf of Mexico represents one of the first commercial applications of 20,000-psi technology for high-pressure/high-temperature reservoirs in the Inboard Wilcox trend. From sanction to first oil and achieving 100,000 BOPD within 75 days of first production, the project demonstrates how advanced subsea systems, floating production infrastructure, and specialized production chemistry enable reliable development of ultra-deep reservoirs at ~30,000-ft depth. This presentation highlighted lessons learned in project management, flow assurance, corrosion control, and scale management for next-generation HP/HT offshore developments.

Speaker:
Joe Leimkuhler, Vice President, External Affairs, Beacon Offshore

Katie Mehnert, Founder of ALLY Energy and NPC Member, joined John Dabbar, Executive Director of the National Petroleum Council, for a fireside chat on how federal energy policies impact project timelines, investment decisions, and operations.

Topics included permitting and regulatory reform, the evolving gas-electric landscape, and opportunities for industry engagement in shaping national energy policy. Attendees gained practical insights into the policy developments influencing the future of energy.

Speaker:
John Dabbar, Executive Director, National Petroleum Council

This session moved beyond discussions about the industry's future to focus on the realities of delivering results today.

Attendees explored how critical decisions are made in offshore drilling, where success often depends on balancing risk, performance, and operational complexity. From the perspective of a leading offshore drilling contractor, the conversation examined what drives key decisions, what earns a “yes,” and how strong partnerships between operators and suppliers contribute to successful outcomes.

The discussion provided practical insights into collaboration, decision-making, and execution in some of the industry's most demanding environments.

Speaker: 
Roddie Mackenzie, Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer, Transocean Ltd.